Sanitary napkin cover



May 22, 1962 c. w. ELMORE SANITARY NAPKIN COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledAug. 4, 1958 INVENTOR. Claude W. Elmore May 22, 1962 c. w. ELMORESANITARY NAPKIN COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 4, 1958 INVENTOR.Cidude W. Elmore BY Mtg/f United States Patent 3,035,578 SANITARY NAPKINCOVER Claude W. Elmore, 125 Buckingham Way, San Francisco, Calif. FiledAug. 4, 1958, Ser. No. 756,267 9 Claims. (Cl. 128-290) This inventionrelates to a device for protectively enclosing used sanitary napkins.Reference is made to my copending United States patent applicationSerial No. 686,984, filed September 30, 1957, and now abandoned, ofwhich the present application is a continuation-in-part.

An object of this invention is to provide liquid repellent materialdetachably mounted to the outer face of a sanitary napkin and in foldedcondition whereat the broad face of the material is in juxtapositionwithin the areas described by the outer face of the napkin.

A feature and advantage of this invention is that the material sopositioned does not interfere with the normal use of the napkin.

Another feature of this invention is that subsequent to use of thenapkin, the material may be removed from the napkin and thereafteremployed as a wrapping into which the napkin may be enclosed forconvenient disposal.

A further object of the invention is to provide a liquid repellentsanitary napkin cover normally attached to the bottom face of the napkinso as not'to interfere with the normal use of the napkin. The cover isfurther arranged to unfold and completely enclose the napkin after thenapkin has been used.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon readingthe following specification and referring to the accompanying drawingsin which similar characters of reference represent corresponding partsin each of the several views.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sanitary napkin with a foldedprotective covering attached to the bottom face of the napkin.

FIG. 2 is a View of FIG. 1 shown with one of the cover holding meanspartially removed.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the napkin of FIG. 1 with the cover inthe unfolded position.

FIG. 4 is a view of the napkin enclosed in the cover.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the napkin and cover.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modification of the invention in whichthe cover is fitted into a pocket formed on the underface of the napkinand in which the cover is formed in the shape of a bag.

FIG. 7 is a view of FIG. 6 with the cover bag partially removed from thepocket.

FIG. 8 is a view of the embodhnent of FIG. 6 with the cover bag inposition to receive the napkin.

FIG. 9 is a view of the embodiment of FIG. 6 shown with the bagenclosing the napkin.

FIG. 10 is a view of another modification of the invention in which thecover material is held by a tear sheet on the bottom face of the napkin.

Referring now to the drawings and with particular reference to FIGS. 1through 5 there is shown a catamenial pad or sanitary napkin A composedof a liquid absorbent soft material such as soft fabric, cotton and thelike.

A folded cover B is removably attached to the bottom face of the napkinin such a way that after the napkin has been used cover B may beunfolded as indicated in FIG. 3 and thence used for a Wrapping toenclose the napkin as indicated in FIG. 4.

Cover B is formed of a thin highly flexible liquid repellent materialsuch as polyethylene, aluminum foil, wax paper or cellophane. Cover B isfolded along fold lines as indicated at 18 so as to provide a pluralityof coplanar broad faces 20 in the folded condition. Each of the broadfaces 20 is arranged in the folded condition to lie within the areadescribed by bottom face 15 of the napkin. Cover B is removably attachedto the bottom face of napkin A by strips 22 attached partially to bottomface 15 of napkin A and partially on the longitudinal edges 23 of foldedcover B. With strips 22 in place cover B is firmly attached injuxtaposition with face 15 of napkin A.

Strips 22 are formed of a severable material such as paper, cellophaneor polyethylene and are provided with a tear string 24 mounted undereach strip 22. By this means string 24 may be pulled upwardly anddownwardly with respect to strips 22 thus severing the strip between theconnecting points of strip 22 with the bottom face 15 of napkin A andthe edges 23 of cover B. After the cover has been removed the cover maybe unfolded as indicated in FIG. 3 and thence wrapped around the napkinas indicated in FIG. 4 wherein the napkin is completely enclosed in awater repellent cover so that the napkin may be conveniently disposedwhile in a sanitary container.

Bottom face 15 of the napkin is glued to one broad cover face 20 so thatthe napkin will not part from cover B in the unfolded condition. Theparticular face 20 to which the napkin is permanently attached islocated in a central area of cover B so that the peripheral segments ofthe cover in the unfolded condition are formed with suflicient area tocompletely enclose the napkin without removing of face 20 from face 15of the napkin.

It is noted that with the cover in the folded position as indicated inFIG. 1 that the entire cover B is so attached to bottom face 15 ofnapkin A that it will not interfere with the normal use of the napkin.

In FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9 there is provided a modification of theinvention. In FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9 a napkin C formed of the same materialas napkin A is provided with a pocket D formed on the underface of thenapkin. Pocket D comprises a sheet of resilient material such ascheesecloth, soft fabric and the like firmly attached to edges 30 ofnapkin C along three peripheral edges 31 of fabric 29 so as to form thepocket with one open end as at 32.

The disposable cover is formed in the shape of a bag as indicated at Ein FIG. 8 which is sealed along the side edges 33 and bottom edge 34 andopen at the top as at.

35. Bag E is folded to provide a plurality of coplanar broad facesarranged so that the folded cover B may conveniently fit within pocket Das indicated in FIGS. 6 and 7.

Cover bag E is formed of a liquid repellent material of the same natureas previously described in connection with cover B of FIGS. 1 through 5.

In operation napkin C in condition for normal use is provided with coverE in the folded condition nested within pocket D. In this condition thenapkin is used in the normal manner. After the napkin has been used, bagE is removed from pocket D as indicated in FIGS. 7 and 8. Thereafter bagE is unfolded and the napkin is deposited within bag E as indicated inFIG. 9 whereafter top 35 of the bag is folded together to form acomplete enclosure for the napkin.

In FIG. 10 there is shown another modification of the invention in whicha napkin 40 is provided 'with an envelope 41 over the bottom face of thenapkin. The envelope is formed of a severable material such as paper, orcheesecloth and is arranged to have nested between it and the bottomface of the napkin a cover or bag 39 such 3 as indicated at B in FIGS. 1through 5 or at E in FIGS. 6 through 9.

A tear string 45 is disposed under envelope .1. When string 45 is pulledoutwardly and downwardly envelope 41 severs thus allowing free access tothe cover or bag 39 whereafter the latter can be unfolded and employedfor the purpose of a wrapping for the napkin as previously explained.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail byWay of illustration and example for purposes of clarity ofunderstanding, it is understood that certain changes and modificationsmay be practiced within the spirit of the invention as limited only bythe scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In the art of sanitary napkins of the type formed of a generallyrectangular wad of liquid absorbent material the combination of: a sheetof liquid repellent material formed sufficiently large to completelywrap about all surfaces of said napkin; said sheet folded to form aplurality of coplanar broad faces; each said broad face in the foldedposition being juxtaposed the bottom face of said napkin and within theconfines of the area formed by the bottom face of the napkin; and meansfor removably attaching said folded sheet on the bottom face of saidnapkin whereby upon removal and unfolding said sheet the sheet isadapted to form a wrapping for enclosing the napkin.

2. In the art of sanitary napkins according to claim 1 and wherein saidmeans for removably attaching said folded sheet on the bottom of saidnapkin comprises strips attached to opposite edges of said folded sheetand the bottom face of said napkin; and means for severing theconnecting of said strip between said sheet and said napkin.

3. In the art of sanitary napkins according to claim 1 and wherein saidmeans for removably attaching said folded sheet on the bottom face ofsaid napkin comprises a pocket formed on the bottom face of said napkinand wherein said sheet is enclosed within the pocket.

4. In a sanitary napkin of the type formed of a gen: erally rectangularWad of liquid absorbent material the combination of: a liquid repellentsheet material formed sufiiciently large to completely enwrap saidnapkin; said sheet material folded to form a plurality of coplanar broadfaces; each said broad face in the folded position being juxtaposed thebottom face of said napkin and within the confines of the area formed bythe bottom face of the napkin; means for removably attaching said foldedsheet material on the bottom face of said napkin; and means forpermanently attaching to the bottom face of said napkin a portion of thebroad face of said sheet material which lies against the bottom face ofsaid napkin whereby upon removal and unfolding said sheet material thelatter is adaptable to form a wrapping for enclosing the napkin.

5. The combination according to claim 4 and wherein the bottom face ofsaid napkin is attached to said sheet material at a point adjacent thecenter of said sheet material in unfolded condition.

6. In the art of sanitary napkins of the type formed of a generallyrectangular wad of liquid absorbent material the combination of: a bagformed of liquid repellent material sufficiently large to completelyenclose said napkin within said bag; said bag folded to form a pluralityof coplanar broad faces; said broad faces in the folded condition beingjuxtaposed the bottom face of said napkin and within the confines of thearea formed by the bottom face of the napkin; and means for removablyattaching the folded bag on the bottom face of said napkin whereby uponremoval and unfolding of said bag said bag is adaptable to receive saidnap-kin.

7. In the art of sanitary napkins according to claim 6 and wherein saidmeans for removably attaching the folded bag on the bottom of saidnapkin comprises strips attached to opposite edges of the folded bag andthe bottom face of said napkin; and means for severing the connection ofsaid strip between said bag and said napkin.

8. In the art of sanitary napkins according to claim 6 and wherein saidmeans for removably attaching said folded bag on the bottom face. ofsaid napkin comprises a pocket formed on the bottom face of said napkinand wherein said folded bag is removably nested within the pocket.

9. A catamenial pad assembly comprising an elongated catamenial padhaving opposed faces and a flexible, liquid repellent sheet of materialformed of sufiicient size to substantially encompass said catamenialpad; said sheet being folded into a compact mass having its largestdimensions no larger than the largest face of said catamenial pad, andmeans detachably securing said sheet to one face of the pad, said sheetwhen detached from said pad being expandible to an opened-out conditionof a size to encompass said pad.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,753,106 Barth Apr. 1, 1930 2,002,368 Fancher May 21, 1935 2,506,238Rowe L. May 2, 1950 2,750,033 Pickens June 12, 1956 2,896,626 VoightmanJuly 28, 19 59

